


Comet

by littleredtriskelion



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluffy Ending, M/M, Sad Kageyama Tobio, Short One Shot, angry Hinata
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-26 03:20:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6221593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleredtriskelion/pseuds/littleredtriskelion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata thinks that even after all this time, Kageyama thinks he's unworthy as a team mate. Kageyama's always had other ideas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Comet

"All I ever wanted was to be worthy of you!" 

Kageyama wasn't sure what shocked him more - the words themselves or the dull smack of the volleyball against his chest, his limbs too tired and confused to stop the ball from reaching it's target. He, like most of the team after their crushing defeat, simply wanted to go home and sleep and forget for a few hours that all their training hadn't been enough. That once again, no matter how many buckets of sweat poured off of them, no matter how loud their hands smacked against the ball, no matter how much pain their exertion caused them, it wasn't enough to win. 

Hinata, of course, was not like the rest of them. He seemed to have enough energy to play five more games such as the one they had just endured, although whether it was genuine energy or his own anger that was fueling him, Kageyama couldn't tell. 

"To be worthy of your tosses and your respect! But no matter what I do I get nothing! We lose and it's my fault! I'm not fast enough, I'm not tall enough, I can't jump high enough, it's my fault! And you tell me, over and over, that you only toss to those who can win, so over and over I get nothing! Because after all this time you still do not see me as worthy!" Kageyama was dimly aware of someone approaching Hinata - Sugawara it seemed to be, although he couldn't quite make himself focus on him. Hinata too, seemed to be angry to care, shaking off the older boy's gentle touch to his arm like it was an irritating gnat. "You've made it clear to me now! So don't worry, your court won't be spoiled by the unworthy!" And with that, he was gone, a comet hurtling towards the changing rooms before anyone could stop him, least of all Kageyama, who was too shocked to do anything but gape at the empty void Hinata had left behind.   
-  
It had been a week since Karasuno High's volleyball team had once again been crushingly defeated by Aobajosai High, and as a result lost their place in the finals. 

It had also been a week since Kageyama had seen Hinata. The dumbass's absence made him ache in a way he couldn't explain, as he jogged into the gym for their first practice. He was just a hyperactive idiot, he had no reason to miss him. Yet, even here, in the one place he was supposed to be able to retreat and let instinct take over, he noticed it. 

"Where's Hinata? That punky little fireball has some work to do if we're to make it to the finals next year!" Tanaka called, who seemed to have only gained enthusiasm since their defeat, rather than matching the unmotivated plague that had spread through some of the team. 

"Hinata is...not feeling well. We'll have to practice without him, for now," Daichi replied, shooting Sugawara a furtive glance that Kageyama could not miss. He was holding something back, something important. What had Hinata done? Had he gotten himself suspended? Or worse? It wasn't like Hinata to not attend practice, and a secondary plague of unease joined the first as the team felt the same absence Kageyama had been trying not to struggle with all week. He wanted to ask more, but he knew it wasn't his place to do so- Daich was the captain, if he didn't want them to know, then that was the final decision he had to go with. 

However, his mouth started to open anyway, like it was planning on asking the question whether it had permission too or not. Daichi, sensing the unease that he had been feeling himself since his last conversation with the red-head, began to talk again, taking away Kageyama's opportunity. "Tanaka has a point, however. We have lots of training to do for next year if we don't want this to happen again. 15 laps around the gym as warm up! Go!" 

Kageyama's feet obeyed the order without his brain needing to remind them to, easily falling into step alongside everyone else. For once he remained within the crowd, having no reason to race ahead. No comet to run after, to chase until even the brightest of flames struggled to breathe.   
-  
He never saw Hinata anymore. And it wasn't until then that he realised how often he expected to see him, how big a space the small boy had taken up in his life.

He no longer raced him to the gym. He no longer trailed behind him between classes. He no longer endured his chatter during lunch, about volleyball and homework and life. He no longer waited by the old cherry blossom tree to race him to the school gate. 

He no longer set up their magical quick strike. 

The comet had passed, and it's bright fire had blinded him to the world without it.   
After a while he learned to stop expecting.   
-  
"Hinata!" 

Kageyama's back had been facing the gym door when he heard Tanaka and Nishinoya's unified scream of delight, quickly followed by their racing footsteps. The resulting thud and mix of groans made it easy for him to picture what had happened, and his suspicions were confirmed as he turned round to find the three boys tangled together on the floor. None of them seemed fazed by their new position though, chattering and yelling as though they weren't merely millimeters from each other. 

"Alright, alright, enough. We're training, this isn't the Karasuno High Chatter Club," Daichi fondly reprimanded, walking over and helping the boys back to their feet. "Hinata, run a few laps to warm up and then we'll play." Even from where he was standing, Kageyama could hear the relief in the captain's instruction. He, like the rest of the team, had started to truly believe Hinata wouldn't come back. 

Everything felt right again, for the longer they practiced. Even if at first, Kageyama was benched, seeing Hinata run across the gym, hearing his cries of delight and frustration...the world felt bright again, lit up by the comet, even if it didn't fly as close as it did before. 

Finally, once Sugawara became too tied to keep playing, Daichi allowed him to take his place by the net. Hinata barely looked at him as he moved, and he wondered if things had really reverted back as much as he had hoped. From the sudden furrow between the other's brows, he doubted it. It still felt good though, to play with him again, to once again fall into step with his partner as they fought to win. 

They had barely a minute left, and only one point left to gain so they could win. Even though it wasn't a real match, and even though his team mates were on both sides of the net, Kageyama felt the familiar urge fluttering like butterflies in stomach. The need to win, to prove himself worthy. The ball started to fall towards him, hurtling like Hinata down towards his already raised hands. "Hinata!" 

The other seemed shocked by the shout, but quickly got over it, seeming to instinctively know where to go as Kageyama tossed the ball, Coach Ukai's countdown faded to his ears as he watch the ball sail through the air, meeting the palm of Hinata's hand as though it were a magnet before resuming it's path over the net, smacking down on the other side of the court with an audible slap, breaking the sudden silence of the court. Game, and practice, over. 

"You were never unworthy." Kageyama promised, not turning to meet Hinata's gape as he spun on his heel and began to lightly jog out of the gym. Within seconds, he heard footsteps racing after him, a rare smile quirking his lips as Hinata sped past and out of the gym with a victorious cry.

His comet had returned.


End file.
